Dog Training - How to Train Your Dog to Walk

By Rikard Ingvarsson

As every dog owner knows, dogs love to for a walk, and occasionally, once you take them out, they try to run away or at a faster pace than you, leaving you completely agitated. This article will provide you with the tips you need to train your dog to walk with you obediently, making it a fun activity for the both of you!

The first thing you need to do is make sure the training is done within the boundaries of a fenced area. This is important so that your dog does not run away. If you recently got a new dog, this is especially important because right now, your dog might not be completely friendly towards you and might try to get away.

Start your dog's training by getting a light collar and a three to four feet long leash. Make sure the collar is not so loose that it would slip off and neither is so tight that it would choke your dog. Also, make sure the leash is long enough for your dog to wander independently while being connected to you.

When beginning the walk with your dog, make a gesture that your dog would remember, like tapping it on the head or calling out its name, and simultaneously take a step. This way, the dog would remember that every time you make that gesture, it means you\'re taking it for a walk.

While walking with your dog, make sure you keep a normal pace and that you keep talking or making small, friendly gestures at the dog. This would be especially useful if the dog is new because it would make it feel loved. Make your little walk full of fun for yourself and your dog.

After walking for a few feet, stop for a while. Make your dog sit and play with it. Rub its back; dogs love that. Keep your dog close to you and try to have fun. Then, start walking again and of course, start with making the same gesture that you initially made.

Make sure you practice this routine everyday for about five to ten minutes initially, and then increase your walking time by five minutes after every few days. Make sure your dog starts getting more and more comfortable around you. After a week or so, when you feel that you and your dog have built that special bond, feel free to take your dog out to parks or the streets. Just make sure that before you do this, your dog does feel connected to you so it won't scamper off!

Remember, the only way to get your dog to walk with you is if you make your dog feel loved. For this, you need to really focus on your dog and make sure it is having fun with you around. If you feel that your dog is not paying much attention, treat it to a bone or a dog biscuit. This way, your dog will start paying more attention to your words and your actions!

Save yourself a lot of time as a dog owner and train your dog to be obedient. It gets so much easier for both you and your dog when you have trained your dog´s obedience. Click here to learn more about training your dog.